Vehicle wheel



March 1o, 1925 1,528,937

' F. L. MAIN VEHICLE WHEEL Filed Agg 1, 1925 23 2 6 v[2 l: I I

' 3g A INVENToR. .sla- ,jaw/y, BY-MW/W' ..31 l ,lo HW.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. l0, 1.925.

` UNITED STATES PATENT oFFl'cl-z.

mm: L'MAIN, or BIRMINGHAHHICHIGAN, AssIGNoa rro HAYES WHEEL conrm, or JAcxsoN, mcHIGAN, a coEPonaTIoN or MICHIGAN. v A

f VvEHIcrE WHEEL.

' appunti and August 1, 192s. sensi No. 355,021'.

To all A'whom z't my concern.' v

Be it known that I, FRANK L. MAIN, a

citizen of the United States, and residin at Birmingham, in the county of Oaklan l .5 Vand State of Michigan, have invented `a new b means of a disc of sheet metal of prac.

tically uniform thickness, and the object of this invention is `to provide a wheel of this character in which the disc also embodies '15 a hub cap, in which the disc Shan at the hub alon ltwo spaced circumferential surfaces, an which shall have maximum carryin `ca acity with maximum flexibility.

n t e accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wheel embodying the present invention. Fi s. 2I`and 3 are radial sections in lanes passm through the axes of two em odiments o` the present invention.

Similar reference-characters refer toI like parts throughout the several views.

In 2, the hub lis provided with a flange 3 and with a substantially conical bearing surface 4 spaced from the flange 3. :m The flange 3 'may `be formed vwith lu 2 at intervals to furnish suiicient meta to be. drilled and tapped'to receive the screws 5 which pass through holes 'in the disc 6 and in the clam ing ring 7. I prefer to make conical the Iholes in the clamping ring in which the inner portion of the heads of the screws are received soV that the ring 7 will be properlypositioned. I also prefer the screws5 to extend atan angle to the axis of the wheel so that they may be more accessible. v

. The' demountable rim 8 is of the well known QD'type and has an4 inwardly extending circumferential rib 9' formed by rol-ling in .the groove which receives the split ring 10.

Between the rim 8 and the' hub 1 is the -disc 6 which is pressed from a llat sheet so 'as to comprise a practically cylindrical outer edge 13, an outwardly convex portion 14 adjacent thereto which merges into the outwardly concave middle portion 15 of the disc whose inner ed e fits the curved face 'of theilangs sont 'e hub and is pressed.

against this'flange by means of the clamping ring 7 The central portion 16 of the disc constitutes a hub cap and merges into the outwardly concave middle ortion 15. The disc may be so formed t atl this hubl cap portion connects to the main middle portion of the disc by a conical portion 17 which fits the conical xbearing surface 4 of the hub. This conical surface and the face of the flange 3 are preferably accurately machined.

The deepest portion of the outwardly concave plortion of the disc is preferably onehalf t e distance from the axis of the wheel to the demountable rim. Forming the disc proper integral with the hub cap eliminates the unsupported inner edge ofthe disc which was usually a source of weakness for the disc. The outer flange 18 of the ring 7 contacts with the disc beyond the outer edge of the flange 3 and thereby stresses the disc to such an extent that vibration thereof the disc.

The structure shown in Fig. 3 is a rear or driving wheel while that shown in Fig. 2 is a steering wheel. The hub 22 has a brake drum 23 attached to' it by means of bolts 24. The flange 25 is again formed with aA curved surface to fit the inner part of the outwardly concave portion 26 of the disc 6,

and the outer flange 18 of the clamping ring 7 again tends to stress the disc 6 at the outer edge of the flange 25' by' means of the screws 5 which again extend at an angle to the axis of the wheel. The central portion of the disc again constitutes a hub cap 16 and the disc has a conical ortion 17 to tit the conical portion 28 of the' ub.

This disc may be sheared from a rectangular sheet, but instead of retaining no more than the largest circular portion, I prefer to forml the blank with four circular segments which constitute flanges 30 when the blank is pressed to constitute a disc. The outer edges 31 of these segments are preferably bent outward to contact with the rim 8 alon a line opposite to the rib 9 thereon an thus assists in properly supporting the rim on the disc. The outer portion of the disc may also be formed with a recess 32 whose wall 33 is perforated to permit the passage of the tire-valve stem 34 which may be held from rattling by means of a bushing 35.

AThe details of construction and proportions of the parts may all be changed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim l. In a wheel, the combination of a rim, a hub having a flange, a sheetA steel disc of substantially uniform thickness bearin on the hub flange and on the hub outside o the flange, the central portion of the disc constituting a hub cap, said disc being concave outward from said hub cap to an outwardly convex portion adjacent the rim.

2. In a wheel, the combination of a rim having an interior circumferential rib, a hub having a flange provided with a concave surface, a sheet steel disc of substantially uniform thickness bearing on the hub flange and having its central portion constituting a hub cap, said disc being concave outwardly from the inner edge of the hub cap to an outwardly convex portion which has a line engagement with the rib on the rim, and means to secure the disc to the hub flange.

3. In a wheel, the combination of a rim having an interior circumferential rib, a hub having a flange provided with a concave surface, a sheet steel disc of substantially uniform thickness bearing on the hub flange and having its central portion constituting a hub cap, said disc being concave outwardly from the inner edge of the hub cap to an outwardly convex portion Vring having a circumferential which has a line engagement with the rib on the rim, and means to secure the disc to the hub flange comprising a clamping flange engaging the disc outside the flange on the hub to tension the disc, and bolts to secure the clamping ring and disc to the flange.

4.. In a wheel, the combination of a rim, a hub having-a flange, and a disc secured to the flange on the hub and having its medial portion outwardly concave and its outer portion reversely bent to form a felly to receive said rim, the central portion of the disc being domed to constitute a hub cap.

5. In a wheel, the combination of a hub, a disc attached thereto and having its edge formed to receive a rim and its central portion domed to constitute a beinc formed with a bearing surface' to fit the disc, a clamping ring to secure the disc to the hub, and screws extending through the clampin ring and disc into the hub.

6. In a w eel, the combination of a rim, a hub, a disc supporting the rim and having its medial portion outwardly concave and its central portion domed to constitute a hub cap, said hub being formed with a bearing surface to fit said concave medial portion of the disc, and a clamping ring to secure the disc to the hub and having a circumferential flange engaging the disc outside the bearing surface on the hub to tension the disc.

7. In a wheel, the combination of a rim, a hub, a disc supporting the rim and having its medial portion outwardly concave and its central portion domed to constitute a hub cap, said hub being formed with a bearing surface to fit' said concave medial portion of the disc, a clamping ring to secure the disc to the hub and havinol a circumferential flange engaging the tdisc outside the bearing surface on the hub to tension the disc, and bolts to secure the clamping ring and disc to the hub and extending substantially normal to the bearing surface of the hub. y

FRANK L. MAIN.

hub cap, said hub 

